Ryan: We’re going to keep pressing our Medicare advantage

posted at 2:01 pm on August 17, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Democrats thought that naming Paul Ryan to the Republican ticket would allow them to Mediscare seniors back to Barack Obama. The Wall Street Journal takes no small delight in describing just how well that strategy has worked in the first week of Ryan’s candidacy for VP. Thanks to ObamaCare and the redirection of Medicare funds to pay for its costs, Obama and Democrats have managed to fumble the issue — and given Mitt Romney a wide opening for attack — in the same way Democrats have attacked Republicans for decades on budget “cuts” and entitlement reform:

According to the usual Beltway rules, the Washington potentates call for an honest debate even as they defend or excuse the rank Democratic falsehoods in order to defeat even the modest reform that they will then claim we need, if only there had been an honest debate. The Republicans are supposed to act like Quakers amid the pummeling and are only allowed to appeal to columnists and wonks with their boring old budget charts and obscure details. And then lose elections.

Well, now we’re learning that the same tactics can be used against Democrats too. The difference this time is that the Romney-Ryan ticket is trying to create a political shock absorber against Mediscare so voters can consider the substance of a genuine reform alternative that modernizes the entitlement state, rather than simply expanding it.

For the record, President Obama’s $716 billion is a “cut” only in the sense of slowing the rate of spending growth over 10 years, which is the baseline Democrats always use. Medicare spending will continue to rise rapidly. The Obama “cuts” come by cranking down Medicare’s price controls for hospitals and by gutting Medicare Advantage.

The real term for this familiar Beltway ploy should be Medicare austerity—i.e., keep the status quo, only less of it—rather than reducing costs over time through the structural change the program needs. But it is factually correct to say that Democrats took money from Medicare and then used the “cuts” to hide ObamaCare’s true 13-figure cost.

Here’s a rather glaring example of this hypocrisy from Buzzfeed’s Andrew Kaczynski, who finds this gem from 2008. Barack Obama scolded John McCain for proposing to use reductions of $800 billion in future Medicare spending to reform the health-care cost structure:

So … Obama was against raiding Medicare to fund an “ill-conceived, badly thought through plan” to reform the health-care system before he was the author of those cuts to fund ObamaCare. Gotcha.

Needless to say, this is proving to be a very fruitful line of attack. In an exclusive interview, Paul Ryan tells Salena Zito from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he and Romney have no intention of relinquishing this advantage:

Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan says he wants “to bring on” the Medicare debate with the Obama administration in the campaign for the White House.

“We are heading towards a European-like debt crisis which means a deeper recession, fewer jobs, lower revenues and bigger deficits if we don’t get our fiscal house in order fast,” Ryan said on Thursday in an interview with the Tribune-Review.

The Wisconsin congressman, tapped last weekend by Mitt Romney to join the GOP ticket, discussed the campaign after a rally and an unscheduled stop for hot dogs and hand-shaking at The Hot Dog Shoppe in nearby Warren.

“President Obama has punted on this issue. He has ducked the issue of fiscal responsibility, and that is a huge threat to our economy,” Ryan said.

He criticized the president for “raiding” Medicare to pay for the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act — also known as Obamacare. The Obama administration wants to use $716 billion from Medicare over the next decade to pay for portions of the new health care law.

“This is a debate we need to have. It is a debate that we are starting and very confident in winning,” Ryan said.

Indeed. It’s a debate that is long overdue — and one that the electorate appears ready to have and to reward.

Blowback

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Great that we are bringing on the MCare issue (fused with OCare) fight. Important though to double stress how important free enterprise and markets will be in our plan to bring down the costs and quality of medical care. Ryan does it himself with unparalleled excellence.
The free market argument takes more than 30 seconds, perhaps. But we got to figure out one way or another how to get that argument to the average Jane.

THIS is the kind of fight missing for so long in Repub ranks, with the exception of Sarah Palin. RINOs are always so afraid of standing on principles, yet when Repubs do, they get elected! Ref. Ronald Reagan.

Democrats thought that naming Paul Ryan to the Republican ticket would allow them to Mediscare seniors back to Barack Obama

.

Democrats SAID that naming Ryan to the ticket was the worst thing possible for the Romney campaign what with that evil Ryan Plan floating around and all. What their internals showed was precisely what is happening. Ryan’s plan may not be perfect but it is sure more defensible than having to explain the $716B you looted from old people to pay for your untested brand of socialized medicine. Any discussion of entitlement reform is better than three years of refusing to address the issue when you said you would have to take it up during your time as President.

No, Ryan was probably Team Obama’s worst fears. It would not surprise me to find that the whispering campaigns talking up Portman or Pawlenty (of all people) originated out of whatever level of hell Axelrod and company run the campaign.

On Special Report last night, Stephen Hayes noted that, and then said that he can see the GOP ad to be run immediately after that in which an elderly woman will be quoted as saying, “I’m voting for Mitt Romney for president and for Betty’s son for vice president.”

R2, the GOP, GOP SuperPacs, and all GOP candidates need to make the $716-billion-of-Medicare-cuts” figure as ubiquitous in this campaign as the Dems made that bogus 45-million-uninsured figure in the Obamacare cramdown.

Also, quit the AARP because they lie to you. They are in cahoots with Obama, fully. Their CEO is a robber barron.

Schadenfreude on August 17, 2012 at 2:08 PM

Want to know why Medicare Advantage is being scrapped? SO AARP can sell THEIR gap-filling insurance plan. Worked out in a deal with the Dems during the in-the-dark- at night, over the weekend, Christmas holiday Obamacare negotiations.

AARP is nothing but another corrupt, thieving bunch that WILL throw granny off the cliff if they don’t get their pound of flesh. They need to be exposed in the investigations to come about this whole incestious, under the table Obamacare fiasco.

I want team Romney to cuts ads with Pelosi saying that we had, ” to pass the bill to find out what’s in it” and Romney/Ryan saying, “We are going to discuss this bill because Americans deserve to know what their government is doing – and here’s what the Democrats did………… We’re going to tell you what you needed to know before this monstrosity was passed with secrecy, bribes and dishonesty.”

It’s theft by thuggery under the guise of “redistribution” and Obama’care’.

Obama did not “take the $716 billion from Medicare to pay for Obama’care’”.

He stole the honestly funded, by demand, Medicare funds, and gave it to Medicaid (‘the poor’, illegals and other assorted scum), aka current or future leftist voters.

Schadenfreude on August 17, 2012 at 2:08 PM

Well of course, his math is simple, albeit chillingly cynical: poor granny might not be around by the next elections cycle to give her precious vote to these scumbags, but the entitlement hordes are here to stay (or shall I say loot), or at least till the welfare state collapses (i.e. Europe)..

I want Ryan to say just one thing to Obama, “Mr. President, if Medicare and Social Security are so popular with the public, let’s test your assertion by making participation voluntary. You game?”
Charlemagne on August 17, 2012 at 2:10 PM

Perfect, Charlemagne.
And, as my now sometimes employed self-employed consultant husband would say, “maybe everybody should have to file quarterly with the IRS like I have to.”

Do these fools recall that one the main reasons they were defeated the 2010 elections and suffered historic losses in the House of Representatives was Obamacare and the theft from Medicare to fund Obamacare? Do they think that we forgot about this issue in 2012?… Seriously how stupid and delusional these fools are?… We are fortunate that they are that very stupid and delusional…

Here’s a rather glaring example of this hypocrisy from Buzzfeed’s Andrew Kaczynski, who finds this gem from 2008. Barack Obama scolded John McCain for proposing to use reductions of $800 billion in future Medicare spending to reform the health-care cost structure:

So … Obama was against raiding Medicare to fund an “ill-conceived, badly thought through plan” to reform the health-care system before he was the author of those cuts to fund ObamaCare. Gotcha.</blockquote>

Another example in that scheme is Obama claiming (now) that his raid on Medicare in amount over SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS is “a saving” and in the same statement, calls that “cuts.”

So now Obama defines “saving” money as “cutting” money but he omits the final destination of his plans which is REDIRECTING MONEY to somewhere else: presto, “saved” or so his illogic goes.

Can ANYthing he says be used reliably? I even question his advice on barbeque after hearing today that’s his latest “advice” and just about the only question he considers important enough to respond to.

This isn’t new behavior by Obama, however. I’ve long maintained the guy is exceptionally passive-aggressive (and he is, among other problems he has): he plays with people’s well being and security by talking about and only about barbeque when there are national tragedies looming, he’ll laugh and smile and brag about his vacation-happiness when there are floundering quagmires occuring due to his own negligence or irrationality in office.

He does appear to enjoy making people unhappy, in creating strife, in encouraging awful conditions, both materially and psychologically. Obama seems happiest when he’s creating the greatest discomfort in others.

Not only that but didn’t Obama promise complete transparency of the negotiations on CSPAN? (to scare away the special interests or something) And something like 3(?)days of review for the public to comment on before law makers would act? (Presumably cuz everyone would LOVE it soooo much the pressure would be so intense to ensure passage.)

Instead we got an 11pm vote on Thanksgiving weekend in the House and a Christmas Eve vote in the Senate. And then closed door wheeling and dealing galore after Scott Brown won in order to save this thing.

Here’s a rather glaring example of this hypocrisy from Buzzfeed’s Andrew Kaczynski, who finds this gem from 2008. Barack Obama scolded John McCain for proposing to use reductions of $800 billion in future Medicare spending to reform the health-care cost structure:

So … Obama was against raiding Medicare to fund an “ill-conceived, badly thought through plan” to reform the health-care system before he was the author of those cuts to fund ObamaCare. Gotcha.

Another example in that scheme is Obama claiming (now) that his raid on Medicare in amount over SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS is “a saving” and in the same statement, calls that “cuts.”

So now Obama defines “saving” money as “cutting” money but he omits the final destination of his plans which is REDIRECTING MONEY to somewhere else: presto, “saved” or so his illogic goes.

Can ANYthing he says be used reliably? I even question his advice on barbeque after hearing today that’s his latest “advice” and just about the only question he considers important enough to respond to.

This isn’t new behavior by Obama, however. I’ve long maintained the guy is exceptionally passive-aggressive (and he is, among other problems he has): he plays with people’s well being and security by talking about and only about barbeque when there are national tragedies looming, he’ll laugh and smile and brag about his vacation-happiness when there are floundering quagmires occuring due to his own negligence or irrationality in office.

He does appear to enjoy making people unhappy, in creating strife, in encouraging awful conditions, both materially and psychologically. Obama seems happiest when he’s creating the greatest discomfort in others.

I want Ryan to say just one thing to Obama, “Mr. President, if Medicare and Social Security are so popular with the public, let’s test your assertion by making participation voluntary. You game?”

Charlemagne on August 17, 2012 at 2:10 PM

AMEN!!! I usually shut up my liberal friends just by saying… “Hey, I’ll be more than happy to opt out of Social Security and Medicare if I can put that money in my 401K and HSA accounts. You don’t mind if I exercise that CHOICE, do you?” And I’m in my 40′s.

They usually sputter and spit, and then have to run the bathroom to change their pants!

Pretty much. Remember people calling and crashing the phone systems in Congress? All the disgusting, shady deals that were sprung on us later? Stupack, Landreiu, Nelson – the crooks and liars. The whole thing made me ill.

All this in the face of a promise for transparency. What a farce this administration is.

This is unfair and down-and-dirty politics by the Republicans. Medicare is a Democrat issue and is untouchable by any other party. Now Democrats are really ticked and want to see those tax returns or else, or else, they’re going to hold their breath until they turn blue.

They should scratch the Vice Presidential debate and replace with a 2 on 2 debate pitting Obama/Biden against Romney/Ryan so they can all address one another. This would allow Ryan to take on Obama directly before a national audience; the optics of a young V.P. dismantling the current President combined with the bumbling Biden flailing away would be devastating.

Seriously, I might as well vote for Romney is the GOP is going to be the pro-entitlement party. Folks got duped.

libfreeordie on August 17, 2012 at 2:21 PM

It is not pro-entitlement low IQ low liberal scum. It is about the truth of Obama stealing $ 716 billion to pay for his destructive Obamacare… And you fools thought that with Ryan you are going to destroy the Romney/Ryan ticket in few days because of the Medicare issue… No who is trying to run away from this issue… yeah let us go back to Romney tax returns because that is the most important subject on voters mind…LOL… You are delusional, stupid, and desperate… Your welfare queens agitator is losing over 15% of the “White voters” who voted for him in 2008 and because of this he is going to be utterly defeated. His internal polls are proving this and he is getting more desperate by the hour….

2) Tapper is trying to convince you that THIS time unlike all the others these magic savings will happen since Barry is Da Wun

Tapper wants you to believe if you have a 500 paycheck and you pay 400 bucks to your visa and then you use the visa to go to an ATM get cash for 400 bucks and send it to your mastercard you saved 400 bucks on your visa….

3) Tapper is buying into the spin that “we will gte those savings from the provider not the patient”…..

really jake?

I’m gonna skip the blatant hypocrisy in the democrats relying on you media types to defend them from charges they “cut medicare” for using the same method we have TRIED TO USE FOR 40 YEARS TO STABILIZE THE DRAIN BY PARTIAL PRIVITIZATION and simply ask:

How?

Price controls will lead to less service every time

You gonna stand idly by while doctors are forced to work for peanuts compared to the time they invest and the dangers they face from malpractice?

Jake you are helping Lawyers say to doctors:

“Yeah I know you got better grades than me through high school, I know you did better than me in harder classes inyour undergrad leg, and I know you spent 9-14 more years training but SCREW YOU WAGE FREEZE LAWYERS RULE!”

Your idiot boy king did not control the lawyers Jake…..

Doctors will quit….

so what’s next holding them at gunpoint to do surgery you idiot?

People if they can force doctors to work for free or darn near they can force anyone….

the nurses, pas, med techs everyone will get hurt by this idiot idea of “enforced savings” if we follow through and thus far in our history we haven’t….

Seriously, I might as well vote for Romney is the GOP is going to be the pro-entitlement party. Folks got duped.

libfreeordie on August 17, 2012 at 2:21 PM

Funny, I almost half agree with you… almost.

Both parties are pro-entitlement… or to be more specific, pro-spending. The more money flows through Washington, the more money politicians of both stripes have at their disposal to disperse to their political backers… that’s the whole point of all those lobbying offices on K Street. It’s basically vote buying, at least in the sense that the more money they have in their campaign coffers from those lobbyists and political backers, the more they can saturate the airwaves with their ads at election time.

Rare is the politician that actually wants to reduce spending… it isn’t in their own personal best interest. Even Paul Ryan, as much as I actually like him, considers cutting the budget to be not increasing it by as much as previously planned, and he is supposedly the ultimate fiscal hawk in DC.

Before Ryan, Romneycare was the Problem Which Could Not be Addressed. Romney cannot divorce himself from Ryan who is defined by his Medicare plan, thanks to the DEMs

Ryan’s plan is simple
1. Obamacare steals 700 million from Medicare to fund other programs
2. Medicare is already underfunded
3. Everyone over 55 can retain old fashioned Medicare if everyone under 55 is offered the choice between regular Medicare, or purchasing with subsidies the same health care federal employees get

How does Romney explain Romneycare? The people of his State wanted it, their legislature voted it in, and as a public servant he met the wishes of his State.

However, Ryan’s plan preserves beloved Medicare, but offers a individual choice and does not intrude upon States. or impose the huge Obamcare fines. jail sentences, unaccountable panels of Czars.

It will not shut down hiring as the Obamacare mandates have already done. Unlike Obamacare, the Ryan plan is not a job killer

Indeed. It’s a debate that is long overdue — and one that the electorate appears ready to have and to reward.

C’mon Ed you cannot seriously believe that… Most of the American electorate is ignorant about big ticket issues such as the federal deficit. The only people who care about this are

A)A few young people (age group 30 to 40) who know that they are going to receive no more than half of their promised Medicare/SS benefits (AT best)and yet will be forced their entire working lives to contribute to some one else’s

B)Senior Citizens who want no debate and will vote for the Demagogues even if the slightest reforms to restructure Medicare are undertaken (as observed in the WSJ)

People in Category A are mostly Democrats and will continue to vote Democrat no matter what. Some of them are conservatives but they are not a significant force in the electorate

People in Category B will have a more balanced mix of Democrats and Republicans but the whole Mediscare tactic may turn even some Republicans to vote for Obama

Lastly a majority of the American electorate does not really care much for facts and views the Presidential elections as nothing more than a glorified personality contest on who is more liked/less hated – there is no other way Clinton could have won in 92 and Obama in 08